hplusj

Our NOA was received via mail on Nov 9th, postmarked Nov 6th! Everything's ready to go for biometrics on the 20th (and Jon's behind the wheel on the 22nd, since he needs that as proof of pending residency in Iowa).

Ours was received on the 1st but the NOA was postmarked Nov 6 so expect a slight delay. Seems they got a little busy on Monday and Tuesday. I wonder why... 🤣 I don't know if you set up a G-1145 for notifications but if not, you can always give your information to Emma and see if there are docs submitted for your case. Provide all information you have now: A-number, USCIS receipt, NVC case and ask to speak with an agent to get the access code printed on the NOA. If you did set up the notifications and you've heard nothing, I guess the waiting game is still on.

I understand that it's frustrating when this part of the process is very opaque but approaching it with a lens of unfairness is not going to make it easier for you. Focus on your relationship and your future plans together. Make sure this is all for naught. Exercise patience, and gratitude. Four years ago, your frustration over your wait would be laughable. Even a year ago, we were seeing petition approvals twice as long as yours. Our case was at NVC for four months. Breathe, find grace and foster the love for your future spouse. Not much is fair in this world, and the immigration process is certainly among the count.

I poked Emma (online assistant) and providing what I knew about the case, was able to get an agent who provided the access code that's on the paper.

Still waiting on the NOA1 to arrive! We'll need it to get Jon a driver's license, once he aces that behind the wheel lol! Also, the bio appointment is scheduled for the 20th (again saw it on our USCIS account) but nothing physical has arrived. Was issued one week ago.

Hey all! Been on the forums here since around the time of our first K1 NOA2 (yes, we had two) back in March of this year. I'd say we're long overdue for a little introduction: I'm Heather, the main arbiter of the hplusj account and the USC. My now-husband, Jon, is from South Africa. He arrived here on Friday the 13th of September because September 11th is clearly cursed and his flights kept cancelling. We live in Iowa, though right around the time of our NOA2 (literally my first piece of mail) I moved from Minneapolis down to the Des Moines metro. I work in the hospitality industry and, once that EAD shows up for Jon, he'll probably jump right back into software development. We did things the hard way with a K1, and it is what it is. Things like delaying our wedding would've been smart but we're suckers for sentimentality and wooo, is that a costly endeavor. When I mean costly, I don't necessarily meant the cost of the K1 (although that's certainly not cheap either). What it also cost us was understanding from our loved ones, and a sense of normalcy. Jon and I had a lovely micro-wedding in Vegas in an olive grove (pics below) but our family and friends really struggled to wrap their heads around a wedding invitation which had several time zones printed on it. Imagine the feedback we got: letters that read, We're so happy for you but we just can't make the journey when we had paid over $500 for a production team to livestream, in an attempt to include them! Anyway, the wedding was quite the adventure (so much to say on that, but let's not bog down an intro), and we're glad to be on the other side. At the time of this post, we just got the text from USCIS notifying us that Jon's NOA1 for the AOS/EAD are in the mail. It's on to the next steps, getting just a bit closer to citizenship! We are so glad to be here, to contribute our journey and hopefully help others along the way. Thank you for this site, it's been a godsend!!

Sorry this has been your experience, OP. I will say though, that "don't judge a book by its cover" goes both ways. I'll save further, potentially incendiary commentary for the political forum

Whose income did you use as proof for the K1? Feel free to keep an eye on the October thread, might be some foreshadowing for ya.

This is exactly why we didn't deduct all evidence from online. The question of "how did you meet" is relatively common. I expect USCIS would want an answer to it readily available, even if it isn't in-depth.

I'm sure there are people on here who are, but fact of the matter is more and more people are meeting online, and not just through dating apps: doing what they love, and connecting with others in doing so. I just shake my head when I see confused reactions to what is a rather clear question. Judgey passive aggressive nonsense. This is the 21st century, and your question is most certainly relevant. I wish you all the best on your journey!

Progress! Our case was received on October 28th and the I-797c is dated November 1 (saw the digital copy on USCIS.gov, will probably get the physical one in a few days).

Same, my now-husband and I met on Second Life. Our evidence connecting us through that was very minimal since for the better part of the first two years we knew each other, we called each other by our handles, not even our real names. Online connections just don't translate well. Focus on the real, you'll be fine. (also F the haters, we had an in-world wedding as well. I get the importance of it, even if USCIS and people who aren't part of these communities don't)

A lot of people have already said that, but you have several stages to advance through K1, you're not going to finish in the time period you're concerned about. And yes, ditch the visa preparation service. You do not have a complicated case. If you did, an immigration lawyer is going to be far more useful. Handing it over to a "service" is imo a terrible idea since it is additional costs in an already costly pursuit, and learning how to navigate this on your own leaves the people with all the interests in seeing it succeed --namely, you and your fiancee-- handling 100% of it.

Your timeline says you got your NOA the day later. Is that accurate? Did you have your biometrics yesterday?

For October? I got you here: